Militias On The Rise: Armed Groups Feeding Off Politics

James B. Kelleher and Ed Stoddard

The United States is one of the few Western democratic countries that permit independent militias. Their rapid growth coincides with a sharp rise in partisan rhetoric as the November U.S. congressional elections draw nearer. Depending on your perspective, they are either patriots or paranoid. Experts in law enforcement and academia are divided as to how big an actual threat they may pose. But they all agree on one thing: the groups are very well armed.